The Long Road Home

Chapter Seven

The stunned silence continued. It seemed everyone was trying to come to terms with the reality before them. Apparently, none of them were prepared to see double as they looked from one brother to the other. Or perhaps it was the look of fury on Gus’s face that made them all nervous.

Fin couldn’t muster the voice to speak. He was an uncle? Gus had a son?

It was no wonder the boy looked familiar. If Fin dug out a picture of them as kids, surely the boy would be a mirror image. Of all the scenarios Fin considered for their reunion, this was not one of them, not even remotely close.

Gus was a father. They were both in their fifties and to see his brother with such a young child was strange to say the least. Fin’s gaze shifted to the brunette standing nearby. She was beautiful…and young.

A lot younger than Gus. Who was she?

His gaze returned to his brother and Gus’s look of fury that was ready to burn him to ash on the spot. It probably wasn’t a good time to ask about his sister-in-law.

The brunette studied him though she didn’t seem as surprised as the others. Maybe Gus had told her about him? However, the look on her face wasn’t exactly welcoming. Moving closer to Gus, she touched his arm and slowly drew his attention. Gus relaxed as his gaze took her in.

With a sigh, he leaned toward her and pecked a kiss on her lips before turning his attention to the boy in his arms, “You have some cake with your mom, okay buddy? I’m going to have a little chat with your uncle before we open presents.”

“Okay, daddy,” the boy readily agreed, reaching for his mother, who accepted him with open arms.

“Gus…” the brunette said.

“It’s fine,” he smiled, kissing her temple. “Promise.”

“Come back for presents, daddy,” the little boy reminded.

“You got it, buddy,” Gus chuckled. He looked across the stunned crowd, making eye contact with a burly, bearded biker and a younger one standing with a blonde and holding an adorable little girl.

“Ah, s**t,” the younger biker softly cursed, kissing the little girl in his arms before turning her over to her mother, whom he also favored with a kiss before walking closer to Fin.

“Let’s have a chat, Fin,” Gus said, leading the way back inside.

Fin hesitated, but the two bikers not so gently hurried him inside and away from curious eyes. Gus headed upstairs and Fin had no choice but to follow with the other two behind him. For years, Fin had wondered what his first meeting with his brother would be like, but this silence was impenetrable.

“Did you know Gus had a brother?” the younger biker behind him asked in a hushed tone.

“I did,” the other answered. “Didn’t know he was a twin, though.”

The pair behind fell silent again, leaving Fin to his thoughts. At least some of them knew Gus had a brother. Yet, it seemed that was not information his brother shared with everyone. Fin wasn’t sure if he was grateful for the secrecy or disheartened.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Gus led the way down the hallway. Fin couldn’t help but wonder at the organized nature of it all: meeting rooms and offices with names on the doors. It was like any other office building he had visited. Gus reached the last door, and Fin was able to see the name before he shoved it open: the Duke, President.

Who was the Duke?

He sounded important.

Gus marched into the office without a care. Fin wasn’t sure if he was surprised by how clean and organized it was. In fact, it was a lot like the office Gus once kept in the family company. The differences were small. The walls were wood, giving it a warm, stoic feel. Artwork on the walls was about motorcycles and similar to the one Fin remembered Gus buying before.

Behind him, the others entered and shut the door. They stood in front of it as silent observers. Fin nervously eyed them, but they didn’t make a move toward him. Their attention was on Gus.

“What the Hell are you doing here, Fin?!” Gus suddenly turned and sneered. “Well? Cat got your tongue?”

“I…” Fin hesitated.

“I’m waiting,” Gus said. “What could have brought you out here after twenty-five years? On my son’s birthday, no less.”

“So, that boy really is your son?” Fin couldn’t help but be surprised. “He’s so little.”

“He’s only five,” Gus scoffed. “How big do you think five-year-olds are?”

“Five, but…aren’t you almost sixty?” Fin asked.

“Your point?”

“I just—and that woman downstairs. She’s the mother?”

“Her name is Nailah,” Gus corrected. “And she’s my wife.”

“Wife,” Fin repeated, “but she’s so young…”

Gus glared at him, “She taught me love isn’t dead and it doesn’t have limits. I would say I wish I met her sooner, but she’s seventeen years younger than me, so that makes it difficult. But timing is everything, I suppose.”

“Seventeen years? That’s practically robbing the cradle,” Fin joked, but Gus didn’t laugh.

He had suffered his own crisis of conscience when he started dating Nailah. In fact, he almost hadn’t asked her out at all because of the vast difference in their ages. Yet, something had urged him to ask for her phone number and finally Rubble gave him the push he needed to call her.

Sensing his joke hadn’t gone over well, Fin cleared his throat. All his rehearsed speeches had flown out of his mind. Any apology he could give seemed too hollow, no matter how sincere.

“I noticed you have a wedding ring,” Gus said, glancing at the intricately carved gold band his brother wore.

“Yeah,” Fin snorted. “Barclay wouldn’t let it go. Even tried a hostile takeover bid unless the wedding went on as planned.”

“Is that so,” Gus sneered, losing interest. He had no desire to listen to his brother’s perfect little marriage.

“She’s insufferable,” Fin continued. “I can’t stand to be in the same room with her for more than a few minutes. You really dodged a bullet, I promise.”

“Is that how you see it?” Gus snapped. “I found you two in bed together. You didn’t seem to have a problem with her then.”

“Wait, what?” the younger of the two biker escorts suddenly spoke up. “What are you two talking about?”

“Fin, here, slept with my fiancé,” Gus announced. “I caught them in the middle of it in my bed.”

“Oh, s**t. No wonder you want to kill him,” the other snickered.

“Do they have to be in here?” Fin asked, feeling his face warm. “Wasn’t it enough you kicked both of us out completely naked in front of your neighbors?”

“Naked?” the biker laughed. “Really?”

“They had a sheet,” Gus shrugged, before looking at his brother. “They are here to make sure I don’t kill you. The last thing I want to do on my son’s birthday is shed blood.”

“So, do you celebrate all of your son’s birthdays here?” Fin asked. “Doesn’t seem like something bikers would be into.”

“And what do you know about biker clubs?” Gus challenged. “All the brothers have their kids’ birthdays here. Why wouldn’t we celebrate?”

“Right,” Fin fell silent. He guessed he really didn’t know much about bikers.

“Why the hell are you here, Fin?” Gus said after a moment. “Why bother to track me down all these years later? I left it all to you, just like you wished. What more do you want?”

“I—I didn’t want you to leave,” Fin said. “I wanted to apologize. I know it might not mean anything to you, but I am sorry.”

“Sorry for what you did or just sorry I caught you?”

“All of it,” Fin shook his head. “I shouldn’t have let it happen. I should have seen through Bianca. She’s a manipulative b***h, really. She was playing both of us. She’s still playing our parents and her own too.”

“You think I haven’t realized that?” Gus snorted. “After meeting Nailah and experiencing real love, I wouldn’t be able to recognize how fake Bianca was? You’re right. I did dodge a bullet.”